The character of analog and digital
Having just obtained some high quality analogue components, I want make some comments on the character of both analog and digital.
First of all it’s very difficult to speak of analog in general. Records vary widely (indeed wildly) in sonic character and quality. Digital recordings are much more uniform. When you play a digital file you more or less know what your getting. Of course some sound better than others, but there is a consistency of character. With records, it’s the Wild West. Variation in SQ and character are rampant.
Therefore it becomes very difficult to make generalizations on which categorically sounds better.
@sns How is the Korf headshell? what say you? |
+1 @david_ten I think many are looking for an absolute truth. To accept that they are different is to believe one or the other is ‘wrong’. People should get over that. I generally try to listen to music in its original source - at first. Then I try and just listen. In my system the dynamics of analog generally overcome any concerns of a soft focus veil. What some may consider comprise others would call balance. |
@holmz I have yet to install any of this into system, waiting on the Thoress to arrive later this week.
Was lowering sibilance a good thing for you, or did it darken things up excessively? I did see one individual had azimuth issues with his example, seems his Korf was incorrectly manufactured, free replacement corrected this. Other than this I've only heard good things about the headshell. |
The “horse blanket covering the speaker” descriptions always seem like a great analogy. My analogy is that some songs were hissing like a pentacostal revival with the snakes. Now the snakes are largely gone like St. Himself, to be sure, to be sure, chased the snakes from the land. |
Hi Folks, I fear will really ruffle a few feathers with this post - as a European now living in Australia ( some unkind people call Australians- " Americans in training"), I have , perhaps a different view to contrast with the strongly Americo-centic views on AudioGon. Digital vs Analog; yes there is a difference, but the devil is always in the detail. Here is Digital vs Analog 101: Years ago records were produced as AAA recordings: Analog recording, Analog Editing and Analog Mastering ( cutting the groove), using Analog 24 track Tape Recorders. Most modern Vinyl is DDD: Digital recording, Digital Editing and Digital Mastering, so when Digital gets into the recording chain all of the clarity and subtlety of True Analog is lost due the Digital Sampling used. Most CD/ Streaming is DDD: Digital recording, Digital Editing and Digital Mastering, so when Digital gets into the recording chain all of the clarity and subtlety of True Analog is lost due the Digital Sampling used. But here is the Devil detail; There is much more variation between Analog recordings than Digital Recordings - it was much more difficult to make good Analog recordings than good Digital Recordings. To see this search out early 1970's Vinyl and listen to LP's like: Parachute - The Pretty Things Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan 1st Album - America Abraxas - Santana Red - King Crimson Time and a Word - Yes In Analog days the Engineer had much more control, now you can make Digital Recordings on your iPhone. A friend of mine has a harsh comment on what happens today: "My generation put a man on the moon, yours invented the selfie stick". To finish - I am staggered by the $sums people spend to get good Hi-Fi ( sorry High End in Yank). Just pick good kit like Denon, Yamaha, many British Amps,good speakers like Mordaunt- Short, Tannoy, Wharfedale, B&W etc. You don't need 0% Oxygen cables, just good thick wire. If you can't set up your system correctly then it is pointless spending $1000's on kit. For Vinyl you need to understand Cartridge off-set, Bias, Set up with protractors and Hi-Fi News Vinyl, Input Capacitance of cables and Amp. If you find god Analog Vinyl it will give you the best sound you ave ever heard, Digital is more consistant, but always has a metallic edge, a bit like Bostonians!!!! Hope this help to put things in perspective. Brian
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